Meta ditches 'misinformation' tracking tool CrowdTangle

TL;DR


• Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the cancellation of CrowdTangle, a tool that allowed researchers, journalists, and others to track the performance of content on social media platforms. CrowdTangle was widely used to analyze the spread of misinformation and monitor the performance of posts, but Meta has decided to shut down the tool, citing a need to "streamline" its products.

• The decision to cancel CrowdTangle has been met with criticism from various stakeholders, including researchers and journalists who relied on the tool for their work. They argue that the tool was an important resource for understanding the dynamics of online information and holding social media platforms accountable for the content they host.

• The cancellation of CrowdTangle is seen by some as a move by Meta to limit transparency and make it more difficult to track the spread of misinformation on its platforms. Critics suggest that this decision aligns with Meta's broader efforts to control the narrative and reduce external scrutiny of its platforms, which have been the subject of numerous controversies related to the spread of harmful content.

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